All Hail The Littlest King

Little King is about to become your new favourite cafe in the city.

Photography: Josie Withers

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Photography: Josie Withers

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Photography: Josie Withers

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Published on 10 May 2012

by Hayley Inch

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Getting a good, quick lunch in the city can be an arduous task. CBD office dwellers can rejoice, as you can now avoid the frenzied crush of Degraves and instead head down the stone-lined alley behind St Paul’s Cathedral to the tiny, lace-curtained Little King cafe.

Set up by Ellie King (whose nickname at high school was Little King), this cafe may be tiny but it is bursting with personality. “I worried whether the space was going to be too small for the city,” says King, “But it’s perfect for take away coffee and lunches.” And there are plenty of seats out the front on the pavement if you feel like lingering.

And you should linger over the food. The menu is based around whatever King feels like cooking each morning, whether that may be soup, salads, or cute wee cakes, and all the ingredients used are organic and local. Apart from a few ham-stuffed baguettes, Little King boasts a meat-free kitchen, and a vegan friend of King’s provides all the home-baked vegan goodies. The coffee is Padre, and the bread and pastries are by Dench.

The beauty of Little King, food aside, is that because it’s tucked away in such a pleasant, isolated spot, it feels more like you’re having a nibble in a quiet provincial hideaway rather than being smack-bang in the middle of the city. So take some time out of your busy day to pay homage to Little King. Your efforts will leave you richly rewarded.